LIQUID COOLING SYSTEM FOR OUTDOOR SURFACES
A liquid cooling system for an outdoor ice forming surface provides a geothermal heat pump that has a refrigeration circuit with a compressor that is disposed between a cold tube section and a hot tube section. An outdoor structure has an upward facing ice forming surface that is configured to retain a body of ice, where a coolant line is provided at or near the ice forming surface. A fluid pump is coupled with the coolant line and is configured to circulate liquid through the coolant line and over the cold tube section of the geothermal heat pump to dispense heat before being recirculated to the ice forming surface of the outdoor structure.
The present application claims the filing benefit of U.S. Provisional Application, Ser. No. 62/517,400, filed Jun. 9, 2017, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDThis disclosure generally relates to cooling systems used to chill or freeze surfaces or structures, and more particularly to cooling systems that provide liquid cooling lines to chill or freeze surfaces, such as outdoor surface that are desired to accumulate snow or ice.
BACKGROUNDIt is common to run liquid lines, such as tubing or pipes, at or below a surface of a structure or floor for purposes of heating or cooling the surface to a desired temperature, such as a temperature that is capable of chilling or freezing water or other liquids on the surface. Such a liquid cooling system is well known to form an ice surface, such as skating rinks or curling surfaces or ski jump surfaces. Other known surface cooling systems use refrigeration systems and water chillers to form ice.
SUMMARYThe present disclosure provides a liquid cooling system that uses a geothermal, forced air, heat pump unit that has a refrigeration circuit with a cold section thermally coupled with a coolant line that extends out from the geothermal heat pump unit. A portion of the coolant line is arranged at or near a cooling surface, such as a ski jump surface or other outdoor ice forming surface. The coolant line circulates a liquid, such as a mixture of water and antifreeze solution, to remove heat from the cooling surface and disperse the heat to the cold section of the refrigeration circuit, such that ice can form on the cooling surface at ambient temperatures that are above freezing. To control ambient air temperature surrounding the geothermal heat pump unit, which can help to achieve lower operating temperatures, the geothermal heat pump may be contained in a structure or enclosure that provides a temperature controlled environment, such as via the forced air portion of a geothermal heat pump unit. To also facilitate such operation, temperature sensors for monitoring various sections of the geothermal heat pump unit may be provided and control circuitry of the geothermal heat pump unit may be programmed or wired to have temperature minimum restrictions reduced or eliminated. Thus, the geothermal heat pump is operated contrary to geothermal uses of extracting heat from the ground or water and instead is configured to be used to pump the liquid to the above-ground cooling surface, such as to the ski jump, at temperatures that would otherwise freeze the ground or water surrounding buried geothermal supply lines.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid cooling system for an outdoor ice forming surface provides a geothermal heat pump that has a refrigeration circuit with a compressor that is disposed between and generally defines a cold tube section and a hot tube section of the refrigeration circuit. The liquid cooling system also utilizes an outdoor structure that has a panel with an upward facing, ice forming surface that is configured to retain a body of ice. A coolant line is provided that has a heat absorption section disposed at or near the ice forming surface of the panel and a heat dispersion section coupled with the cold tube section of the geothermal heat pump. A fluid pump is coupled with the coolant line to pump liquid through the coolant line for the liquid to dispense heat to the cold tube section before being recirculated to the heat absorption section of the coolant line. As such, the heat absorption section is arranged to form ice at the ice forming surface of the outdoor structure.
Optionally, the outdoor structure is a ski jump that has a sloped surface covered by insulation panels to provide the upward facing ice forming surface at an inclined angle. As such, the coolant line may be divided into various sections or lines, such as an upper line disposed at an upper portion of the sloped surface and a lower line disposed at a lower portion of the sloped surface. These upper and lower lines may be coupled with a valve assembly of a single or separate geothermal heat pump units.
These and other objects, advantages, purposes, and features of the present disclosure will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.
Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative examples depicted therein, a liquid cooling system 10 (
The structure installed with the liquid cooling system 10, as shown in
To provide a slick or smooth icy surface on the ski jump, the upper surface 26a is typically provided with an ice and/or snow sheet or base. This ice base or structure 32, such as shown in
As shown in
As shown, for example, in
The geothermal heat pump 12 may be contained in a structure or enclosure that provides a temperature controlled interior ambient air mass around the geothermal heat pump unit 12, as controlled ambient air temperature may be preferable for the geothermal heat pump unit 12 to achieve lower temperatures. The forced air portion of a geothermal heat pump unit 12 may be used to heat the interior ambient air mass, such as with a radiator 62 that is air cooled with a type of fan 64, such as shown in
A fluid pump 52, as illustrated in
The portion of the coolant line 16 that interfaces with the cold section 14a of the refrigeration circuit 14 may be referred to as a heat dispersion section 56 of the coolant line 16. As shown in
As generally understood, the refrigeration circuit 14 of the geothermal heat pump unit 12 may have a compressor 58 that is disposed between the cold tube section 14a and a hot tube section 14b of the refrigeration circuit. As such, the compressor 58, alone or together with an expansion valve 60 (
As further shown in
In operation, with ambient air temperatures above freezing, the liquid cooling system 10 with a 6 ton, forced air, geothermal unit may be capable of maintaining approximately a 6 degree (Fahrenheit) temperature differential between the fluid or water mixture leaving the geothermal unit 12 and returning to the geothermal unit, after passing through approximately 3,000 feet of above-ground cooling line 16 with approximately a ¾ inch diameter. In the illustrated embodiment, the fluid or water mixture that leaves the geothermal unit 12 may be in the range of approximately 8 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit and may more preferably be at approximately 10 degrees Fahrenheit. In additional embodiments, it is conceivable that other structures installed with the system may have alternative operating parameters and desired temperature ranges.
To provide such operation, temperature sensors for monitoring various sections of the refrigeration circuit 14 and/or coolant line 16 may be located away from the coldest and hottest sections of the coolant line. Also, the control circuitry of the geothermal heat pump unit 12 may be programmed or wired to have temperature minimum restrictions reduced or eliminated to allow the unit to disperse cold fluid to the cooling line 16 arranged at or near a cooling surface 18 of a structure, as such fluid would otherwise freeze the ground and compromise the function of a traditional geothermal heating and cooling system. Thus, the geothermal heat pump unit 12 is operated contrary to typical geothermal uses and is instead used to pump the liquid to the above-ground cooling surface, such as to the ski jump 22, at temperatures that would otherwise freeze the ground surrounding the conventionally buried geothermal supply lines.
The geothermal heat pump unit 12 of the liquid cooling system 10 provides a refrigeration circuit 14 that is thermally coupled with a coolant line 16 that is provided at or near the ice forming surface of the outdoor structure. Fluid may be circulated through and within the coolant line 16 and over the cold tube section 14a of the geothermal heat pump unit 12 to dispense heat before being recirculated to the ice forming surface of the outdoor structure. The geothermal heat pump unit 12 in the illustrated embodiment may be used to extract heat from a frozen substance or structure and produce high temperature forced air that can be used to heat other objects or spaces, opposed to its traditional geothermal use of extracting heat from substantially constant temperature ground or bodies of water. By utilizing the geothermal heat pump unit in such a manner, it may be much more affordable to form and maintain such an ice structure in comparison to known surface cooling systems that form and maintain similar ice and/or snow structures.
For purposes of this disclosure, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the orientation shown in
Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments may be carried out without departing from the principles of the present disclosure, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law. The disclosure has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings, and the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
Claims
1. A liquid cooling system for an ice forming surface, said liquid cooling system comprising:
- a geothermal heat pump having a refrigeration circuit with a compressor that is disposed between a cold tube section and a hot tube section;
- an outdoor structure having an insulation panel that includes an upward facing ice forming surface that is configured to retain a body of ice and/or snow;
- a coolant line having a heat absorption section that is disposed at or near the ice forming surface of the insulation panel;
- a fluid pump coupled with the coolant line and configured to pump a liquid through the coolant line; and
- wherein a heat dispersion section of the coolant line is coupled with the cold tube section of the geothermal heat pump for the liquid being pumped through the coolant line to dispense its heat to the cold tube section before being recirculated to the heat absorption section that is arranged to form ice at the ice forming surface of the outdoor structure.
2. The liquid cooling system of claim 1, wherein the heat absorption section of the coolant line includes a pipe that extends linearly along the upward facing ice forming surface.
3. The liquid cooling system of claim 1, wherein the geothermal heat pump is contained in a structure that provides an interior ambient air around the geothermal heat pump, and wherein the geothermal heat pump includes a forced air portion that heats the interior ambient air from the hot tube section of the refrigeration circuit to controlled temperature configured for the geothermal heat pump to operate at lower temperatures.
4. The liquid cooling system of claim 1, wherein the outdoor structure comprises a ski jump having a sloped surface covered by the insulation panel to provide the upward facing ice forming surface at an incline.
5. The liquid cooling system of claim 4, wherein the coolant line includes (i) an upper line disposed at an upper portion of the sloped surface and coupled with a valve assembly of the geothermal heat pump and (ii) a lower line disposed at a lower portion of the sloped surface and couple with the valve assembly.
6. The liquid cooling system of claim 1, wherein the coolant line includes a pipe comprising a high-density polyethylene.
7. The liquid cooling system of claim 1, wherein the coolant line is disposed in a series of curved formations to substantially cover the ice forming surface of the insulation panel.
8. A liquid cooling system for an ice forming surface, said liquid cooling system comprising:
- a geothermal heat pump having a refrigeration circuit with a compressor that is disposed between a cold tube section and a hot tube section;
- a structure having an upward facing surface configured to retain ice and/or snow;
- a coolant line having a heat dispersion section and a heat absorption section, wherein the heat dispersion section is disposed at the cold tube section of the geothermal heat pump, and wherein the heat absorption section is disposed at the upward facing surface of the structure; and
- a fluid pump configured to pump a liquid through the coolant line to circulatory transfer heat from the heat absorption section to the cold tube section to form or maintain ice at the upward facing surface.
9. The liquid cooling system of claim 8, wherein the heat absorption section of the coolant line extends linearly along the upward facing surface.
10. The liquid cooling system of claim 8, wherein the geothermal heat pump is contained in an enclosure that provides an interior ambient air around the geothermal heat pump, and wherein the geothermal heat pump is configured to heat the interior ambient air from the hot tube section of the refrigeration circuit to a controlled temperature for operating the geothermal heat pump in a manner that provides a desired temperature at the upward facing surface.
11. The liquid cooling system of claim 8, wherein the structure comprises a ski jump having a sloped surface covered by an insulation panel to provide the upward facing surface at an inclined angle.
12. The liquid cooling system of claim 11, wherein the coolant line includes (i) an upper line disposed at an upper portion of the sloped surface and coupled with a valve assembly of the geothermal heat pump and (ii) a lower line disposed at a lower portion of the sloped surface and couple with the valve assembly.
13. The liquid cooling system of claim 8, wherein the coolant line includes a pipe comprising a high-density polyethylene.
14. The liquid cooling system of claim 8, wherein the coolant line is disposed in a series of curved formations to substantially cover the upward facing surface.
15. A method of forming a cooled outdoor surface, said method comprising:
- providing an insulation substrate at an outdoor structure to form an upward facing surface that is configured to retain ice, snow, or a combination thereof;
- arranging a heat absorption section of a coolant line at the upward facing surface;
- arranging a heat dispersion section of the coolant line at a cold tube section of a geothermal heat pump; and
- pumping liquid through the coolant line to transfer heat from the heat absorption section to the cold tube section and then recirculating to the heat absorption section to cool the upward facing surface of the outdoor structure to a desired temperature.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the geothermal heat pump is contained in an enclosure that provides an interior ambient air around the geothermal heat pump.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the geothermal heat pump includes a forced air portion that heats the interior ambient air from a hot tube section of the geothermal heat pump to a controlled temperature configured for the geothermal heat pump to operate at a low temperature.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the outdoor structure comprises a ski jump having a sloped surface covered by the insulation substrate to arrange the upward facing surface at an inclined angle.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein the upward facing surface includes an included angle provide an upper portion and a lower portion, and wherein the coolant line includes (i) an upper line disposed at the upper portion and coupled with a valve assembly of the geothermal heat pump and (ii) a lower line disposed at the lower portion and couple with the valve assembly.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the upper and lower lines are each disposed in a series of curved formations to substantially cover the upward facing surface.
Type: Application
Filed: May 30, 2018
Publication Date: Dec 13, 2018
Patent Grant number: 10835807
Inventor: Gary Jacobson (Iron Mountain, MI)
Application Number: 15/993,088